BELEAGUERED UDF CHAIRMAN FACES OUSTER

Beleaguered UDF chairman Osman Hassan will certainly face the axe in the coming days after he cunningly admitted holding illegal party meetings and mounting a leadership challenge to party leader Musalia Mudavadi in a letter in our possession. This was in an apparent attempt to scuttle a scheduled party meeting called to endorse his ouster after party members, including MCAs, mounted excessive pressure for him to quit.

In a letter to the UDF secretary general Dan Ameyo Hassan purported to command the SG against meetings that did not adhere to the party constitution and norms but inadvertently endorsed charges of sabotage and incompetence preferred against him by the party’s National Executive Committee and Political Council and endorsed by Parliamentary Group members. Hassan dishonestly claims in the letter that “it has come to my knowledge that we have not been calling for meetings of NEC as required by our party constitution”, yet Hassan as chairman is the convenor of the same meetings he now disowns.

Incidentally, among the latest accusations Hassan faces include masquerading as UDF nominee in the recently Political Parties Liaison Committee elections instead of the party sponsored candidate for secretary, Petronila Were, the party’s CEO. Against a NEC resolution, Hassan misrepresented the party at PPLC as a nominee candidate for secretary post. 

Additionally, he is being indicted of sabotaging NEC decisions despite convening and chairing the meetings that approve the same. He is accused of going against NEC approvals by refusing to sign minutes of NEC meetings without cause. This has delayed the implementation of NEC resolutions and consequently stalled party programmes.

Insiders point out that what has prompted the “come to my knowledge” trick is his having been tipped that his days were numbered after he walked out on party leader Musalia Mudavadi, NEC, Political Council and Parliamentary Group members meeting at a retreat at Elmentaita recently. Sources confirmed that Hassan refused to sign resolutions even after party leader Mudavadi had endorsed them.

Fearing that a resolution calling for restructuring of the party could lead to his replacement through intended national elections, Hassan abandoned the meeting in a huff at dawn, sources said. His midnight intransigence saw the retreat nearly turn into physical violence with MPs baying for his blood. There was a near punch-up when Hassan allegedly threatened to shoot Galole MP, Dukicha Hassan, “in the head” over claims that he was leading the onslaught against the chairman. Hassan’s minder and NEC member a Mr Arte pleaded with Hassan to sign the resolutions but all was in vain, impeccable sources told Weekly Citizen.

“Hassan, I am speaking as an old man. Listen to me. I have supported you as a son, but on this one you are wrong,” Mzee Arte is quoted as telling the chairman who insisted on time to consult, upon which he was accused of being a mole.

“Whom are you going to consult, who is this master?  Aren’t we, including the party leader all here? What have you brought to this party other than getting nominated through our votes and using it to gain financial favours? Who has paid you to ruin this party?” were the litany of accusations by shouting participants directed at the besieged chairman.

Matters got worse when it was revealed that Hassan had not signed NEC meetings since last year. It is in this context that Hassan’s letter is seen as a deceptive cover-up aimed at invalidating resolutions of past NEC meetings. Incidentally, the letter also seeks to outlaw any party meeting not called by Hassan himself which amounts to insubordination of all party organs.

“I therefore direct that henceforth, all meetings of party organs will be called for in strict adherence to the constitution of the party, and I shall be advising you to call for such meetings,” reads the letter copied to Petronila Were, whom he derides as acting CEO.